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The mayor’s older brother delivered a brief statement at City Hall about the mayor’s sudden exit after news surfaced of another crack video and an audio tape of the mayor ranting vulgarities in a bar.

“I can tell you this is one of the toughest days of my life,” Doug Ford told reporters.

“In saying that, I also have a sense of relief. As an older brother, I am relieved that Rob has faced his problems and has decided to seek professional help. This is not an easy thing for anyone to do, especially when you’re the mayor of this city.”

Doug, who is the mayor’s campaign manager, encouraged his brother to “take this time for himself and for the sake of his family.”

“Rob was very emotional when he told me the hardest thing about this is he knows he let people down. He let his family down, he let his friends down, he let his colleagues down, he let his supporters down and the people of Toronto,” Doug said.

The tough-talking councillor has been the mayor’s staunchest defender during the personal and political scandals that have besieged his administration, but his voice cracked Thursday and he appeared to fight off tears as he talked about his love for his brother.

“I love my brother,” Doug said. “I’ll continue to stand by my brother and his family throughout this difficult journey.”

Doug concluded his statement by asking people to “keep Rob and his family in your prayers” and asking the media to respect the family’s privacy.

He later told CBC that the mayor was "immediately" beginning a 30-day in-patient treatment program at "one of the best facilities in North America."